Posted on by Kurt Bodling

Easter

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands
For our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand he stands
And brings us life from Heaven.
Therefore let us joyful be
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

(“Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” stanza 1; a 16th century hymn text by Martin Luther translated by Richard Massie in the 19th century; hymn 134 in “Lutheran Book of Worship,” a 1978 hymnal from Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, and the Board of Publication, Lutheran Church in America, Philadelphia)

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

Easter

Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sin’s pow’r, Lord, set us free,
Newborn souls in you to be.
Alleluia!

(“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” stanza 7; a 17th century text translated by Robert Campbell in the 19th century; hymn 126 in “Lutheran Worship,” a 1982 hymnal from Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO)

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

a couple collects for today

Merciful and everlasting God, who hast not spared Thine only Son, but delivered Him up for us all that he might bear our sins upon the cross, grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. (from The Lutheran Hymnal. St Louis: Concordia, 1941)

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so may we await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (from The Book of Common Prayer. New York: Seabury Press, 1979)

All powerful and ever-living God, your only Son went down among the dead and rose again in glory. In your goodness raise up your faithful people, buried with him in baptism, to be one with him in the eternal life of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (from The Liturgy of the Hours, volume II. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1976)

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

faith on Good Friday

Note:
One of the mysteries of the Good Friday events is the apparent split among Jesus’s followers. Of the inner circle who had been following him, only his mother and John were present at the foot of the cross to witness his death, according to the Gospels. But Luke 23:49 also notes that “all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” That makes it sound like the rest of the disciples were there, but back a ways; although I don’t believe Luke elsewhere uses the word acquaintances to describe the Twelve. Were the acquaintances people like Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, and others whose names we never learn? Others weren’t present at all, probably for a variety of reasons.

Faith is a funny thing. On the first Good Friday the faithful were overcome with shock and mostly silent. After Pentecost the disciples were as bold as you you ask for. At the cross one of the thieves came to the faith; and a centurion, for goodness sake, apparently also comes to faith witnessing the way Jesus died. In the afternoon faith moves Joseph of Arimathea to go on record asking for the dead body to be released to his custody. How many other witnesses to these events also secretly came to faith that day?

I’m not exactly sure what Luther was getting at here by saying that faith can be granted in secret. Is it that we can’t always tell who has faith? Or that sometimes people who are not public members of the Church are in reality members of Christ? Is he speaking of ‘anonymous Christians’? Certainly, faith is not always practiced openly, but what he’s getting at here seems different. And today, at least, I’m connecting it with the eyewitnesses of the crucifixion, some of whom became secret believers that day.

Quote:
“What we said about suffering also applies here, namely, that sometimes faith is granted openly, sometimes in secret.”  (page 13)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

false confidence

Note:
Luther says that relying on external acts to gain forgiveness of sins is a false confidence. He isn’t saying that good works are bad or should be avoided. It’s the misplaced confidence and the belittling of Christ’s work that makes our works something to be disdained. Absent that attitude, the good works and penance would be welcomed.

Here at the climax of Holy Week especially, we dare not belittle Christ’s work on our behalves.

Quote:
“Beware, lest you do as those perverse people who torture their hearts with their sins and strive to do the impossible, namely, get rid of their sins by running from one good work or penance to another, or by working their way out of this by means of indulgences. Unfortunately such false confidence in penance and pilgrimages is widespread.”  (page 12)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

meditating on Jesus’s suffering

Note:
Luther here uses ‘contemplation’ and ‘meditation’ as synonyms. But the main point here is that meditation, by whatever name, is of more benefit to us than any amount of external works can be. Meditation changes our hearts. Even just 15 minutes of real meditation on Christ’s betrayal, arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion is way more beneficial than any spiritual disciplines, says Luther.

Quote:
“We say without hesitation that he who contemplates God’s sufferings for a day, an hour, yes, only a quarter of an hour, does better than to fast a whole year, pray a psalm a day, yes, better than to hear a hundred masses. This meditation changes a man’s being and, almost like baptism, gives him a new birth.”  (page 11)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

God inspires true meditation

Note:
As many of us continue to meditate on the events of the original Holy Week, it’s helpful to know that our meditations are not generated from within our own hearts (not if they are of any benefit to us). So if you’re just “not feeling it” it won’t help if you “make an effort” or “dig deep.”

Meditation that benefits us comes by way of an inspiration of God. Which is, by the way, good to remember the other 51 weeks of the year, too.

Quote:
“Unless God inspires our heart, it is impossible for us of ourselves to meditate thoroughly on Christ’s passion.”  (page 11)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

benefits of Christ’s suffering

Note:
Here Luther says that the main benefit to us of Christ’s passion is that we are crushed by the Law. Surprising? It comes down to understanding the fact that if I had not sinned then Christ would not have had to suffer and die. Each of us can truthfully say “I am personally responsible for Jesus’s death.” The grace only benefits me after that.

And, of course, no competent preacher or witness leaves hearers crushed by the Law. We must always, always make sure that the Gospel is then spoken clearly and completely.

Quote:
“We must give ourselves wholly to this matter, for the main benefit of Christ’s passion is that man sees into his own true self and that he be terrified and crushed by this. Unless we seek that knowledge, we do not derive much benefit from Christ’s passion.”  (page 10)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Posted on by Kurt Bodling

God for ME (and for YOU)

Note:
This short line appears with the editor’s footnote that “Ever more pronounced from this point on is Luther’s emphasis on the pro me, pro nobis (“for me, for us”), reflecting the personal aspect of faith which Luther himself experienced and now expressed in all his writings.” His theology was not dry academic theology, in other words.

As we are here entering Holy Week, perhaps you can meditate a moment on how the events the first Palm Sunday through Easter happened for you.

Quote:
“Of what help is it to you that God is God, if he is not God to you?”  (page 8)

Source: Luther, Martin. “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion” (1519) Luther’s Works Vol. 42. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.